The
German government will provide a soft loan worth 120 million EUR, equivalent to
180 million USD, to support Vietnam’s
efforts to cope with climate change.
German
Ambassador to Vietnam Rolf Schulze announced the loan at a press conference in Hanoi on Dec. 1, where
the German Embassy also introduced a new web site on development cooperation
between the two nations.
Schulze told reporters that Vietnam is one
of the countries forecast to be most seriously affected by the adverse impacts
of global climate change.
As long-term partners in terms of environmental
protection and combating climate change, the German government has approved the
soft loan to finance the effective use of energy in Vietnam’s rural areas, he said.
The project is designed to upgrade and expand
rural electricity grids, reduce electricity losses during the transmission
process and ensure that both price and quality for rural customers are the same
as for urban areas.
Approximately 2.9 million households in 45 provinces
and cities nationwide are expected to benefit from the project, which will help
the country reduce electricity losses from 30 percent to 15 percent, saving 400
million kWh a year (equivalent to 350-400 billion VND).
The ambassador said the webpage on Germany’s development cooperation with Vietnam was
launched as of Dec. 1 at www.gdc-vietnam.org .
With three versions, in Vietnamese, German and
English, the site will provide up-to-date information on sustainable economic
development, environmental protection, healthcare and the sustainable use of
natural resources./.
